The Life Peripatetic

Current Location: Snoqualmie Pass Miles to Go: 260 I felt a shiver of excitement and my heart palpitated just a little faster as I began the momentous walk over the Bridge of the Gods to enter Washington, the final state of the PCT. The Bridge of the Gods sits 140 feet atop the Columbia River,…

After spending more than three months and almost 1,700 miles in California, it’s hard to believe we hiked the 460 miles of trail in Oregon in less than three weeks, including a couple of zeros and near-os! Yet here we are in Cascade Locks, enjoying another relaxing zero day before setting off across the Bridge of…

Please, call off the search parties. No, I did not lose my way in the desert; I was not injured or waylaid by the horrors of giardia or the excruciating pain of shin splints; and, no, I did not get dragged away and eaten by a mountain lion. In fact, I’m more than 1,700 miles…

Start: Robin Bird Spring End: Willow Spring Gully Miles: 18 After getting into camp late, I decided to let myself sleep in until 6am. I took my time getting ready, even making a hot cup of instant coffee which felt luxurious on this surprisingly chilly morning. By the time I hit the trail, it was…

Start: Highway 58 End: Campsite at Mile 579.3 Miles: 14.3 We were in no hurry to leave Tehachapi as a heat wave had just begun to roll in to the region, bringing 100+ degree temperatures for the week ahead. For most of our hike through the Southern California desert, the weather has been unusually cool…

Start: Tehahchapi End: Tehahchapi Miles: 0 and 8 As with most zero days, I spent more than half the day doing typical thru-hiker chores – laundry, cleaning gear, visiting the post office, sorting through my resupply, etc. – and the rest of the day doing the two things thru-hikers most want to do in town – eating…

Start: Cottonwood Creek Bridge End: Tehachapi Miles: 23.6 After so much unexpected trail magic yesterday, I quickly fell asleep in my tent to the lulling white noise of the giant windmills overhead. In the morning, I woke and packed up early and made my way back to the OK Cafe tent where the Burning Man…

Start: Hikertown End: Cottonwood Creek Bridge Miles: 17.4 A note to readers: I will be uploading several posts with only distance data and photos so that I can get caught up to “real time”. I plan to come back at a later date to add more colorful narrative to each day. For now, enjoy the…

Start: Campsite at Mile 503 End: Hikertown Miles: 14 A note to readers: I will be uploading several posts with only distance data and photos so that I can get caught up to “real time”. I plan to come back at a later date to add more colorful narrative to each day. For now, enjoy…

The Life Peripatetic is a blog about exploring the world on foot, one step at a time. I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016 and am currently planning my next adventure. Read more about the blog here.